Political Science and Law - 2011 University Catalog

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Chairperson: William S. Berlin

The goal of the Political Science and Law Department is to provide students with a strong foundation in both politics and law, within the context of a thorough liberal arts eduction. The Department seeks to enhance student knowledge of government, politics, public affairs, the legal process, and the responsibilities of good citizenship. Our course work stresses each of our disciplines, as well as the close relationship between politics and law. In so doing, the Department strives to develop a host of intellectual abilities to reason logically, to analyze complex ideas involving intricate interrelationships, to read with understanding and accuracy, and to write with clarity and precision.

The Department's Political Science major enables students to purse areas of interest in American Government and Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Thought and Philosophy. A Political Science minor is also available.

The Departments's Public Administration minor provides essential background for those seeking employment in state and local government.

The Department's Jurisprudence major is an interdisciplinary program focused on law within a liberal arts framework. As a program with selective admissions criteria, it provides students with an essential understanding of legal ideas and philosophy as they affect institutions and social processes. A Pre-Law Studies minor is also available for students who wish to enhance their preparation for law school by coming law-related study, drawn from several academic disciplines, with other majors.

Students seeking to attend law school also benefit from the guidance of Professor Marilyn R. Tayler, the Department and University pre-law advisor.

The Department offers internships, field work and faculty who are longtime practitioners in their fields. These experts help complement classroom education with the knowledge and understanding gained from years of professional experience. Internships in public administration, legislative offices, and political campaigns are particularly beneficial.

Graduates of our Department enter careers such as policy analyst or researcher; legislative aide or officeholder, lobbyist; FBI agent public affairs specialist, federal, state or local agency employee, U.N. employee or teacher on the high school or college level. Several students continue with graduate education in Political Science or law.